My Dad's Bestfriend (Evelyn and Jacob) novel Chapter 246

Sienna

I couldn't tell if it was the alcohol coursing through my veins or Alexander Grayson himself that sent a shiver tearing through my body.

Devil's Den.

And what was I now? The prey?

"What... what do you want?" I stammered, his body heat so close to mine that it was nearly suffocating. The pain in my chest throbbed, sharp and relentless, clouding my thoughts. I wasn't supposed to find comfort in Alex's presence, yet my traitorous body leaned into the warmth he radiated.

I could feel the tension in his muscles through his shirt, the heat of him pressed against my back. With every steady breath he took, his body stiffened further, his desire becoming palpable.

"I should be the one asking you that question," he murmured, his voice a low, gravelly rumble that sent goosebumps cascading over my skin. His breath teased the sensitive curve of my neck, and I clenched my fists to keep steady. "What do you want, Sienna?"

The question left me speechless. What did I want? At that moment, I wanted anything—anything to distract me from the pain clawing at my chest like a thousand tiny vipers. I wanted to feel numb. I wanted to forget I was broken.

"Do you think you can help?" The words escaped me before I could stop them, trembling in the air between us.

I felt his smirk against my skin before I saw it, his lips curving in amusement as he brushed my hair aside. The tip of his nose trailed down the back of my neck, slow and deliberate, drawing an involuntary shudder from me.

"If you allow me to," he whispered, his grip tightening as he pulled me even closer. My body betrayed me entirely, pressed against his, my heavy breathing giving away the storm inside me.

"It didn't take my permission to order your guards to throw my ex out," I bit out, anger lacing my words despite the tremor in my voice. "So why the hesitation now?"

"So you figured that out," he said with a husky chuckle, his tone both amused and impressed.

It wasn't hard to connect the dots after I'd learned Alexander Grayson owned this club.

"Such a clever little thing," he mused, his fingers tracing a slow, maddening path from my hand to my arm, lingering at my exposed collarbone. I sucked in a shaky breath as heat flared across my skin. "Yet you fell for someone like Ryatt. What a shame. A woman like you deserves better than a man who uses a forgotten key as an excuse to buy his side chick—your so-called best friend Kelly—the same dress as yours."

The words hit me like a slap, my breath stalling. I turned sharply to face him, my chest tightening with anger. "What did you just say?"

He gazed down at me, his eyes dark and unrelenting, one hand settling firmly on my hip. The proximity was dizzying, his warm breath brushing against my face.

"You heard me, flower," he said, his voice soft but unyielding. "The day you went shopping for your birthday, and that piece of shit you call a boyfriend claimed he forgot his keys? He used that time to buy Kelly a dress to match yours. Meanwhile, he couldn't be bothered to spend a single cent on you."

My anger rose and I felt a burn throughout my chest.

That piece of shit....

"Do...do you have proof?" The words barely left my lips.

He chuckled, a low sound that dripped with inevitability, as though he'd been waiting for my question. "Of course, I do."

His arm remained firmly wrapped around my waist as he retrieved his phone, his movements deliberate. A few swipes, and then he turned the screen toward me. My heart stopped.

The video played out like a cruel revelation—the same day, the same store. Ryatt walked in with Kelly, his hand guiding her like she was the center of his universe. They browsed, laughed, and finally settled on a dress he picked with. The same attention I had once dreamed he'd give to me.

Tears stung my eyes, hot and unrelenting. I turned away, unable to watch any longer, my breathing ragged. Shame coiled around me like a vice. I'd been such a pathetic stupid bitch.

How could I have been so blind? So stupid? Every sign, every warning, I had ignored them all for the sake of love that wasn't even real.

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